African Grey Parrot conservation:

a feasibility evaluation of developing a local conservation

program in Principe

Åsa Fahlman

Arbetsgruppen för Tropisk Ekologi Minor Field Study 84

Committee of Tropical Ecology
Uppsala University, Sweden
December 2002 Uppsala
 African Grey Parrot conservation:
a feasibility evaluation of developing a local conservation
program in Principe

Åsa Fahlman, DVM

Minor Field Study 84

Committee of Tropical Ecology, Uppsala University, Sweden
Supervisors: Dr. Torsten Mörner, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden
Dr. William Karesh, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA
ABSTRACT

The local capabilities and need for developing a conservation program for the African Grey
Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) were evaluated during a 2 months period in Principe, Central
Africa. The island’s parrot population is declining due to intense trapping by locals for the
international pet trade. Presently there is no law prohibiting capture and trade of parrots in the
country, still parrots become confiscated during trade by authorities. A health survey of
parrots on the island was initiated, and a preliminary rehabilitation center was set up for
confiscated parrots. If reintroduction of rehabilitated parrots is to be considered, a thorough
health assessment of confiscated as well as free-ranging parrots must take place to avoid
inadvertent introduction of diseases, and the cause of the parrot population decline
(i.e.trapping) must be reduced drastically. There is an urgent need for a law prohibiting parrot
trapping and trade in the country, which is not a party of CITES, and to protect the areas
where the parrots are nesting. The local awareness of the existing parrot trade is high, but not
everybody is aware of that it could lead to depletion of the species. The importance of public
education regarding threats to wildlife and the environment cannot be stressed enough. The
introduction of biology in schools is very important, as well as informing visiting tourists
about the negative impact of the parrot trade. For conservation actions, including ecotourism,
to be successful in a long-term perspective it is crucial that the local inhabitants are involved
and benefit from it. The need for foreign support in future conservation work for the parrots
in Principe is imperative.

Keywords: African Grey Parrot, Psittacus erithacus, conservation, Principe

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INTRODUCTION

One of the worldwide most popular pet birds, the African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus),
exist in declining populations in Central and West Africa. The African Grey Parrot in Principe
was believed to be an endemic subspecies (P. e. princeps) (Bannerman 1914, Snow 1950), but
since 1953 the subspecific status has not been recognized. Endemic parrot populations are
under the same environmental pressures as many other groups of animals: habitat destruction,
indiscriminate use of pesticides, and hunting by local inhabitants for either consumption or
sale (Hanson 1987). In Principe, trappers heavily harvest the African Grey Parrots for the pet
trade and the population has fallen precipitously over the last decade. In 1994 the species was
still considered common but the increasing trade was suspected to result in the depletion of
the species (Peet and Atkinson 1994). Local inhabitants have declared a noticeable reduction in
the number of parrots, which used to be seen in vast flocks on the island (Juste 1996). The
size of the remaining population is unknown.

Since 1995 the African Grey Parrot has been listed on CITES (Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendix II as a species that may be
threatened with extinction unless trade is subject to strict regulation. There is no existing
general environmental legislation and no laws prohibiting parrot capture in Principe and the
country is not a party to CITES (Peet and Atkinson 1994).

Because of the urgent need for protection of the species, this study was initiated with the
objectives to evaluate the local capabilities for conservation actions for the African Grey
Parrot in Principe, and to perform a health assessment of free-ranging and captive held parrots.
This includes
• characterization of the parrot trade and clarification of specific legal and policy issues
surrounding the collection, sale and export of African Grey Parrots, including legal status in
the country and law enforcement activities
• perform clinical examination of wild and captive African Grey Parrots and by blood
sampling look for serological evidence of infectious diseases and compare if captivity has
altered the disease status, and collect information regarding rehabilitation and reintroduction
to make decisions of what is suitable to do with confiscated parrots
• evaluate the concerns of local residents, the status of ecotourism being developed and the
possibilities for local conservation education efforts.

STUDY AREA AND METHODS

Principe, a volcanic island (17 x 8 km, 1°32’-1°43’ N and 7°20’-7°28’ E) in the Gulf of
Guinea, is part of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Principe. The vegetation is
mainly tropical rainforest, partially cleared, and the temperature is 28-30°C all year round.
The islands São Tomé and Principe have never been connected to mainland Africa or to each
other and as a result of this isolation both have developed a rich endemic flora and fauna (Peet
and Atkinson 1994).

Data was gathered in São Tomé and Principe between February 14 and April 12, 2000.

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 São Tomé and Principe

Figure 1. Map over São Tomé and Principe

Interviews with six parrot trappers were carried out to achieve information for
characterization of the parrot trade and the trappers’ situation. Eight local inhabitants, varying
from plantation workers, school teachers, resort workers to villagers, were interviewed about
their opinion of the parrot situation to evaluate the concerns of local residents and the need
and possibilities for local conservation education efforts. Meetings with authorities and
various organizations were held to investigate the legal status in the country concerning the
parrot trade, to identify possible conservation partners and to evaluate the status of developed
ecotourism and conservation education efforts.

A health survey of 25 wild-born but captive-held parrots was performed. Fifteen of these
parrots were confiscated from trappers by authorities and brought to the Bom Bom Island
Resort (tourist facility in Principe), while ten parrots were held in captivity by private
persons. The health survey included physical examination, body measuring, weighing and
blood sample collection. Blood samples were collected from the right jugular vein in
heparinized syringes. After centrifugation, within two hours of blood collection, plasma was
frozen and stored for future infectious disease serological tests. Examined parrots were leg
banded, unless their legs were too thick for the leg bands available. In order to asses the disease
status of the wild population, by blood sampling and examining wild parrot chicks, a two-day
trip was carried out to the south of Principe where most parrot nests were located. A local
professional tree-climber climbed trees with nests to look for chicks, still not fledged, to
examine.

Initially, 12 parrots were confiscated by officials in the harbour in Santo Antonio February 17,
2000. As no other facilities were available, they were initially kept at the ECOFAC*
-------------
* ECOFAC is a European Union project aiming at preserving forest ecoregions in Central Africa

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office under non-suitable conditions. Six days later a preliminary rehabilitation facility was
created at the Bom Bom Island Resort in conjunction with ECOFAC. The age of the parrots
varied from chicks, covered with secondary down and emerging pin feathers, to juveniles and
wing-clipped adults. The parrots were held in cages and initially fed three times daily. Chicks
dependent on parent feeding were fed by hand. Depressed anorectic adults had to be force fed.
The available diet consisted of banana, papaya, palm fruit, corn, rice, bread, and occasionally
boiled eggs and safu (a local fruit). As a calcium source, the food was sprinkled with crushed
cuttle-fish bone. The parrots were weighed daily. Ex-trappers were employed as bird keepers
at the preliminary rehabilitation facility.

In the beginning of April another six parrots were confiscated in the harbour and were brought
to the Bom Bom Island Resort for health examination and rehabilitation.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The trappers, the parrot trade and the legal status

The oldest trapper had been trapping parrots in Principe since 36 years. None of the trappers
interviewed earned their living entirely on trapping. Except for parrots, some trappers also
trap or shoot monkeys. Interviewed trappers trap between 10 and 120 parrots each every
year. Most trappers work in a team of two to four persons, and in general they knew 10-30
other trappers. One trapper said he knew over 100 persons involved in trapping and said that
the younger generation also wants to trap parrots. The actual number of active trappers was
difficult to estimate due to varying reports, but trapping parrots is a common activity on the
island.

Figure 2. Parrot trappers in Principe

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Collection of parrot chicks, by climbing trees with nests, starts in November and ends in
March. Adults are trapped from June to August with small lassos arranged in palm trees. The
trappers stated that it was important not to trap adults during the breeding season. Depending
on when a buyer shows up, the trappers sometimes keep the parrots for up to three months.
The parrots are kept together in cages, barrels or boxes, often with domestic fowl in the
surroundings. Parrot chicks are mainly fed boiled corn, and some trappers supplement with
local fruits and rice. The trappers most commonly sell the parrots to intermediaries, mainly
different businessmen from São Tomé visiting Principe. In Principe the price is usually around
70 000 dobras (US$ 1 = 7400 dobras) per chick, and between 50 000 and 70 000 dobras per
adult, whereas it is the double amount in São Tomé. Only one of the trappers interviewed
occasionally goes to São Tomé to sell parrots. He said it is easy to bring the parrots by plane
or boat as the parrots stay quiet if you give them cassaramba (local wine).

A meeting was arranged in Santo Antonio in Principe to gather people involved and concerned
about the parrot trade to discuss the issue. Participants were the regional President of Principe
and representatives from the National Police, the Port Customs (ENAPORT), the Airport
Security (ENASA), the Department of Forestry (Direςão de Florestais), ECOFAC, the
Wildlife Conservation Society, the Bom Bom Island Resort, and local inhabitants such as
parrot trapper, veterinarian, villagers and private land owners. As Juste reported 1996 (Juste
1996), there is still no general environmental legislation existing in the country, and no specific
legislation considering the parrot trade. Still trappers accept that employees from the Forestry
Department or ECOFAC confiscate parrots. The local air lines (TAP Air Portugal and Air São
Tomé e Principe) do not permit air passengers transporting parrots on board. Luggage is
checked by airport personnel, still large numbers of parrots are transported out of Principe
and São Tomé every year. In Portugal, which is a member of CITES, people who are caught
smuggling parrots into the country are fined and the parrots get confiscated and sent to the
Lisbon Zoo.

At the meeting in Santo Antonio there was a request from the government in Principe to create
a new local law in Principe to protect the parrots. After the meeting a proposition stating
prohibition of capture, commerce, and transport of African Grey Parrots in Principe, was
written by ECOFAC and an official lawyer. The government in Principe has accepted the
proposition, but it still needs to be signed by the regional president before it will be in force.

In southern Principe the remaining area of primary forest, where most high trees with parrot
nests are, need immediate protection. Suitable boundaries for a protected area have been
designated in the Zona Ecológica plan already back in 1985 (Peet and Atkinson 1994).

Health survey, rehabilitation and possible reintroduction

Enforcement of the future law prohibiting trapping, trade and transport of parrots requires
confiscation of parrots found in the possession of trappers. If parrots get confiscated it will be
necessary to have a suitable facility where they can be housed and guidelines for their
rehabilitation and, if deemed possible, reintroduction.

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 Figure 3. Health examination of a
confiscated African Grey Parrot by Dr. Åsa
Fahlman.

The body condition of the first twelve confiscated parrots was either very thin or emaciated,
and they were all in a generally bad condition. Their body weights ranged between 265 and
392 grams upon arrival. Adult African Grey Parrots in captivity generally weigh between 450
and 500 grams, but already around 5 weeks of age their body weight reach around 400 grams.
Within eleven days after confiscation seven parrots died, either after a short period of
lethargy, inappetens and regurgitation, or with no preceding symptoms of disease. The second
set of confiscated parrots weighed between 212 and 360 grams initially. Three of these parrots
were adults in good body condition while the other three were emaciated chicks.

Infectious disease serological tests and plasma chemistries and enzymes has not yet been
performed due to a lack of available serological tests in Sweden and therefore the need of re-
exporting the samples.

A health survey of wild parrots could not be initiated as all nests visited during the trip to the
south were empty. Either the parrot chicks were already full-fledged and had left the nests, or
the nests had been plundered by trappers. Signs of trappers, such as poles leaning against tree
trunks, were seen.

The aim was to employ local people from Principe as bird keepers, and preferably ex-trappers
to enable them alternative incomes to trapping parrots. As supervision of initial parrot staff
proved necessary daily during every feeding occasion, to ensure it took place at all, the set-up
was unsatisfactorily. When caring for young parrot chicks, completely dependent on humans
to survive by frequent feeding, it is important with responsible trustworthy staff. If young

7
parrot chicks do not get fed regularly they easily lose condition, and quickly die. It is of major
importance that an animal keeper has a well-developed sense of responsibility taking.

Reintroduction, in the broad sense of deliberate releases of birds from captivity into the wild,
should serve a direct benefit to conservation of wild species. Releases should not be
undertaken solely for the purpose of disposing of confiscated birds. Before reintroduction is
performed detailed studies should be made of the status and biology of the wild population to
determine the species critical needs, such as habitat preferences, social behaviour, group
composition, home range size, shelter and food requirements, foraging and feeding behaviour,
predators and diseases (Anonymous 1992). The addition of individuals to the existing
population of African Grey Parrots in Principe can increase the overall security of the species,
but it can also pose a severe risk to the wild population by inadvertent introduction of
diseases (Woodford and Kock 1991). The importance of veterinary involvement and
monitoring diseases in confiscated parrots cannot be underestimated because the risks of
disease transmission may outweigh the conservation benefits of reintroduction (Sanz and
Grajal 1998). Baseline health data should be established for wild-caught confiscated parrots
and the wild parrot population to determine if removal from the wild has altered the disease
status (Woodford and Kock 1991). In general, when wild-caught parrots are held by trappers
in local villages they are often exposed to domestic fowl and pigeons, which can carry and
spread diseases like Chlamydia or Newcastle disease to the parrots (Woodford 1993,
Woodford and Kock 1991). The disease status of domestic and free-living birds in Principe is
yet not known. If reintroduction of confiscated rehabilitated parrots is to be considered, it is
important to prevent introduction of novel pathogens to the wild population by thorough
health assessment, pre-release disease screening and adequate quarantine of each individual
(Woodford 1993). Parrots confiscated in Portugal should not be brought back to São Tomé and
Principe, and they are not candidates suitable for release, as they during the international trade
could have been exposed to diseases not existing in the country of their origin.

Reintroduction should not take place as long as the initial causes for the population decline
still exist at a significant level (Sanz and Grajal 1998). As interviewed trappers demonstrated,
trapping parrots is a common still on-going activity in Principe, involving a lot of local people.
Also, if reintroduction shall take place, the release site for rehabilitated parrots should have
assured, long-term protection. There is an urgent need to ensure adequate protection of areas
where parrots nest in Principe, as no such protection exist today. Reintroductions are
generally long-term projects that require the commitment of long-term financial and political
support (Karesh 1993, Anonymous 1992). Resources should exist for post-release monitoring
to evaluate the success of the reintroduced parrots (Karesh 1993, Association for Parrot
Conservation, 1994). Releasing animals into the wild in sub-optimal situations contradicts true
welfare concerns for them and the wild population. Parrots non-suitable for release, due to
injuries or insecure health status, could be kept in large aviaries at a rehabilitation center, well
separated from parrots undergoing rehabilitation for introduction. Non-releaseable birds in
aviaries could be viewed by tourists and locals for educational purposes.

8
Concerns of local residents

The common opinion of local inhabitants in Principe was appreciation of the island’s parrots.
People enjoy seeing parrots and hearing their sounds. ”The parrot is the symbol of Principe,
as you can see on the coins. We must protect them”, was a common opinion. One farmer said
the parrots are causing problems as they eat his crop. To scare the parrots he put out red flags
and scarecrows, but he knew of people who shoot parrots at their farms.

Most locals had noticed a considerable decrease in the number of parrots, from groups of
hundreds some years ago to groupings of less than ten today. When locals were asked if they
thought the parrots are threatened everyone said: “Yes, because of the trapping”. However,
one person still thought the parrots would never become extinct. Suggestions of how to
protect the parrots were many: “Stop the trapping by creating a law that prohibits it and have
forest guards patrolling the areas with parrots. Protect these areas as nature reserves. Find
alternative jobs to the trappers. Explain to everyone why the parrot is so important to the
country and its people. If people know why it is important to protect the parrots, then they
can understand, now they do not know why. Teach kids about the parrots. Educate tourists
both here and in their countries, where the trapped parrots are being sold”.

A local awareness of the declining parrot population and of the importance of protecting the
species and educating people was obvious during interviews with most locals. This is
important and promising for future conservation work on the island.

Local conservation education efforts and ecotourism

The school system in São Tomé and Principe ends at high school’s 11th grade (age seventeen),
and there is no University in the country. In Principe the pupils can study until 9th grade. No
biology teaching or environmental education is scheduled in the schools. Interviewed teachers
were interested in introducing biology to the schedule but lack training and resources.

A Portuguese language teacher had his students reading texts about threatened wildlife during
his lectures. An NGO is currently translating a school book about the rain forest and its future
to Portuguese to be distributed to local schools. To increase the public awareness about the
threats to local wildlife an art teacher suggested that the students during art lessons could paint
a wall painting in Santo Antonio with parrots and other animals.

Public education regarding threats to the parrots were initiated during this study through an
information poster campaign, aimed at locals as well as tourists. Posters written in Portuguese
and English were put at public places, such as the airport, the harbour, the cultural center, the
market, schools and restaurants, and people showed interest in viewing the posters.

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Figure 4. Public education regarding parrot conservation initiated by an information poster
campaign in São Tomé and Principe.

The tourism industry in Principe is sparsely developed but the island has tremendous
possibilities with pristine wilderness areas and deserted beaches. Unemployment is very high
and work opportunities are few. Increased tourism could provide more work opportunities for
the locals, but it would also lead to increased pressure on the environment. Eco-friendly
tourism is imperative. For ecotourism to be an effective conservation tool it is important that
the income remain in the region. Only if the local inhabitants benefit from it, they will see
ecotourism as a development alternative and fully understand the value of nature conservation.
Members of local communities involved in ecotourism tend to safeguard their economic
futures by not exploiting their surroundings (Munn 1998). As economic alternatives to
trapping, trappers with good knowledge of the parrot’s natural history and habitat could be
guiding ecotourists and, if protected areas are established, work as forest guards. During the
study time, the Bom Bom Island Resort was the only tourist resort in Principe, with no
present ecotourism activities but a wish to develop it. ECOFAC employed an ex-trapper as
full time forest guard, and another ex-trapper hourly for guiding.

Increased tourism might encourage the parrot trade, and it is important with responsible
behaviour from developers and travel operators (Peet and Atkinson 1994). The author was
more than once during the stay in Principe asked by visiting tourists about the possibilities to
buy parrots. Also locals asked for parrots to have as pets. Persons educated about the
consequences of trapping and the parrot trade are less likely to get involved in such activities
(Sleeman et al 2000). A rehabilitation center for confiscated parrots partly open to visitors can
change human attitudes by educating the public. The importance of public education about
threats to wildlife and the environment cannot be stressed enough. The lack of resources and
trained teachers in São Tomé and Principe is prominent, and foreign input is necessary to
provide support and training for education concerning environmental protection.

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Acknowledgements

I am very grateful to SIDA / ASDI (the Swedish International Development Cooperation

Agency / Agência Sueca De Cooperaςão Internacional Para O Desenvolvimento) and ATE
(Arbetsgruppen för tropisk ekologi, the University of Uppsala, Sweden) for financing this
Minor Field Study with a scholarship; Dr. William Karesh and Field Coordinator Wendy
Weisman from Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA, for initiating this study and
support during the field period; Dr. Torsten Mörner at the National Veterinary Institute,
Uppsala, Sweden, for being supervisor in Sweden and review of the manuscript; BomBom
Island Resort and its personnel, Principe, for help with logistics and providing a preliminary
rehabilitation center for the confiscated parrots; ECOFAC (Le programme conservation et
utilisation rationelle des ecosystèmes de forestiers d´Afrique Centrale), São Tomé and
Principe, for advice and support during the field period; Air Portugal and Air São Tomé for
help with flight tickets; Scandivet, Enköping, Sweden, for support with veterinary equipment;
Iowa State University Press, Iowa, and Harcourt Health Sciences Companies, Alabama, USA,
for donations of avian medicine literature; Office, Uppsala, Sweden, for providing a portable
computer.

11
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